Sugar beet harvest in Europe under threat due to weather and pests

The area under sugar beet in Europe is decreasing for the second year in a row due to the fall in sugar prices. Final data has not yet been published, however, according to preliminary estimates, the total reduction in sown areas in the EU will be about 9% compared to last year.

Yana Kavushevska, the head of the National Association of Sugar Producers of Ukraine “Ukrtsukor”, told this in an interview with AgroPortal.ua.

“Adverse weather conditions are causing concern about the future harvest. According to GlobalData, the amount of precipitation in the sugar beet growing regions in the EU is currently 28% below the average level. The greatest moisture deficit is observed in Belgium (-93%), the Netherlands (-77%) and the United Kingdom (-80%). The exception is France with an indicator of +18%. In addition, European producers are increasingly concerned about the rapid spread of aphids, which are carriers of the beet yellows virus. In 2020, a similar extent of the spread of this disease in the UK led to the loss of about a quarter of the sugar beet harvest. It is too early to say whether such a scenario will be repeated this year, but the risks to the harvest and sugar production in Europe remain high,” the head of the Ukrsugar association noted.

Tags: EU, crop condition, crop forecast